About Partners

Mission

The Partners in Education Foundation for the Santa Fe Public Schools is an independent non-profit organization founded on the conviction that the entire community shares responsibility for the quality of public education.  Our mission is to marshal resources and create alliances to foster excellence in Santa Fe’s public schools.

History

The Santa Fe Community Foundation created Partners in Education in 1988 to link the community (citizens, businesses, nonprofits and government agencies) with its public schools in productive partnerships.  Partners in Education became an independent 501(c)(3) organization in 1991.  In 2007, Partners became a foundation and continues to serve Santa Fe’s publicly funded primary and secondary schools. The original vision for Partners called for it to effect positive change in the schools from the bottom up. This vision is still valid.  Partners in Education seeks to continuously improve education in Santa Fe by providing ways to achieve creative, cost-effective and innovative solutions to educational problems. The growth of Partners in Education has been phenomenal as the organization evolves constantly to meet teachers’ needs.  During its first year of the teacher grants program, for example, Partners awarded a total of $2,000 to nine teachers for their projects.  In 2021-22, 38 teachers at 15 schools received a total of $37,000 in grants.

Staff

Sarah Amador-Guzman
Executive Director

Znona “Noni” Fern
Operations Manager

Maria Griego
Financial Services Director

Atieno Ouma
Educational Programs Director

Board of Directors

Kathryn Lau Odell, Chair
Local business owner

Mary Schultz, Secretary
Self-employed artist

Craig Blessing, Treasurer
Thornburg Investment Management

Keith Burks
Keith Burks Property Management

Christopher Leslie
Pandemonium Productions

John Odell
John Odell Associates

Rosario Torres
Retired MSW

Ron VanAmberg, Vice Chair
VanAmberg Rogers Law Offices

Ex Officio:

Veronica Garcia
Superintendent, Santa Fe Public Schools

Carmen Gonzales
Board Member, Santa Fe Public Schools Board of Education